Original Tommy's; Simply the Best

Happy 64th

Tommy’s. Its her 64^th Birthday. Been forgoing the fast food kick for awhile. Fish and chicken, but today I learned it’s the birthday of the Best Hamburger Place in the Universe. It artery clogging. Terrible for your cholesterol. Probably the primary reason for obesity in Southern California. However, it must be done.

Yummm, (Drool, Slobber, Drool)

Tommy’s has been Food Channel. ABC, NBC, LA Times, and just about everywhere. It is an institution. Yellow and white tissue paper wrapper to soak up the grease from the heavenly chili. Beefsteak tomatoes slices. Quarter-sized dill pickle. Chopped onions atop a slice of a just cooked 100% ground beef—fresh, never frozen patty. Dressed in mustard  and sandwiched in fresh daily delivered buns. Just heaven on earth. http://www.originaltommys.com/

Nothing Better

There are other ingredients that can be added, like lettuce, and 1000 island dressing, but why add on perfection?

Not too many things, can compare. Sure, I like Inn-N-Out Double-Double animal style. Pink’s dogs are okay. Also, like BJ’s pizzookie, however, nothing really compares to the memories I have with the Original Tommy’s.

Stars Eat, Too

Driving to Rampart in downtown LA. Waiting in lines that surround “The Shack” two times over. (Sorry, Pinks got you beat line-wise. Food, Original Tommy's are the Lakers. Pinks you are the Clippers) Watching families in the Dodge Windstars barrel out of their van to get a dog and in soda. Minute Maid in the can. Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Orange Crush in the lying down freezer. Two areas of attack. One on the corner and the other in the back. Parking lot filled. People of note come here. Saw Lawrence Fishbourne driving his convertible corvette one night. Through the years, saw a few Dodgers and Laker players drive in and out carrying the cardboard boxes filled with chili dogs and fries.

Tamms and Brad

There were those nights driving to Roscoe on a Tommy’s run. It was those nights driving with family and friends at 1 and 2 in the morning after a late night drinking and dancing. It was meeting Tammy and Jason late at night. Driving with Brad and Rinnes on those nights with the moon roof open and night filled with Air Supply singing. It was just drive from Palmdale to the Valley. It was freedom and life.

Dad

It was times with Dad. After leaving Ambassador Hotel to get a bite. It was standing by the wall, grabbing a napkin from the side dispensers. It was enjoying the time with family and friend. Just feeling proud and happy with Hamburger delight. It was a place where no matter what happened in the world, things were going to be alright.

Times have changed. Life needed to move on. Don’t go to Tommy’s as much.  Nope, not the same regularity. 

Thank goodness. Arteries couldn't take it.

Nothing like the Original

I mean I’ve hit places like Valencia and in Van Nuys. Seen Tommy’s the Northridge Mall, but it wasn’t quite the same.  Burbank is okay. It has that city-fied field. Kind of. It became commercialized. It became trendy. It became not of the same great memories. Maybe it was me and I was going through a phase. They opened an Original Tommy’s 20 minutes from home, but if you asked which would I rather go: Rampart, Roscoe, or Rancho Vista. Rancho Vista and Roscoe, Sorry. 

Rampart hands down.

 

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger

Rancho Vista is cleaner. It’s fresher looking. It newer. Roscoe has the Budweiser brewery across the street. Rampart and Beverly, all others can't compare. There was a sense of danger being in Downtown. Black and whites rolling up.Movie stars and professional athletes. Coziness of  "The Shack" Grade School cafeteria napkins. The chest style freezers filled with Hawaiian Punch and A&W Root Beer in the can. Yes, with the sliding doors. You are so close to the food that you can reach over and flip the burger yourself. "Hamburger, Hamburger, and Cheese,"--Those words were magical to me. Staff were so close in the Shack that one can charge $20 for a lap dance.

Ambiance

However, the memory investment has to go back to the classic. 64 years at the same place. Get a free burger when you stop in and say happy birthday, Tommy's. Shack can't compare. The tiny parking lot. The waiting in lines. Standing shoulder to shoulder with rock stars and regulars. Wiping off the secret recipe chili off my face, my shirt, my shoes--Just Heaven. 

Right Company is Important

Sure, I’ve taken family and friends on Tommy’s run. It was never quite the same. If you asked me would I rather go friends and family or by myself. I think I rather go alone. It is a place special to me. It is a place where my Dad took me after a long comic convention day. It is where Tammy lived close to. It was where Brad and I sang the night away. They are not close anymore, but I miss them dearly. Tommy's is a place where I can be alone with them.

Some places are special. Churches, mission, graveyards they have an emotional investment that can’t be measured. Not comparing Tommy’s with other fast food with these sacred places. However, the Original Tommy’s has a special place in my heart.Tommy's, Thank you for being there for me and my Dad. Thanks for sharing those many magical moments. Thank you letting me remember a happier time. Happy 64th Birthday, Tommy's. Thank you for the memories.

March 10: Pictures are worth a 1000 words

Today's Events
5:59 Shit, Showered Shaved.

6:10 Heading to morning mass at 6:30
7:10 G-Time at His House. Leaving St. Marys
7:50 Went off trail. Got Winded. Looked at Junipers and Horse poop
9:30 Waiting for Corinna at Jen's place. Car Garage broken. Hangovers, hahahaha. Beautiful tree
10 Gassed at Ampam. Ha Chew is gum. Called Camille's missing Artist Way. Lost Black Book. Taking Back Roads. Hi to Cat House. Talks of Las Vegas reunion

10:45 Take Truck Route instead. Corinna Cringes in the tunnel. I'm driving fast in a tunnel I can't see. With Big Rigs all around. Go Bold or Get Old.

11:14 Off Highland. In Hollywood. Thinks of Shazams and Tamara at Lodge

11:35 Passed the Golden Apple. Take a picture of another comic shop on Melrose. Talk about 7 min of standup

11:40 Good parking space. Go pee and get dinosaur donuts. Think about buying academy award

12: Pretty girl. Not really listening to Corinna, instead looking at Pretty Girl works at CBS or restaurant at the Grove. Eat Mexican because Colorado Mexicans aren't nice to Corinna. Learn of Haanes and the kids.

12:15 Make eye contact and small talk at Scent shop with pretty girl. No digits. Corinna gets tea. Doggy Bakery. Where I spent my youth reading comics and porn, I was lucky. $10 validation card, No we wont pay. Haans knows Hindi.

1 Fairfax. Writers Guild. Who shot Notorious BIG. Little Ethopita and Jewish Council for Woman. Looking for Pollo. Get feeling will find in 10 minutes

1:15 Mgt messed up order for one customer. 8 pieces. Name tag for Lisa. She got a Jones for them bones. Kids cone dipped. Server has Big kids

1:30 Sad Memories of LAX. Blue Man Billboard, "WTF" Look as plane passes overhead

1:45 Corinna go bye bye. Sad. 1 Month see her again. My first strip club I went to closed. Chess at Embassy. Aerobics cert across the street. Was I angry? Yes.

145 got to be in Lancaster by 2:30. Big Donut. Think 2012 movie

2 Pass Howard Hughes. Traffic great. Time to look at overpass and grafitti

205 Passed the VA.Trivia Pursuit question. How many bathrooms does this hotel have?

2:13 Sherman Oaks Galleria. Glitter, Dave, LA Fitness Van Nuys. Missed Budlight Brewery and Tommies Runs with Shazam.

2:20 I like waters at night. Lights come on during Christmas

2:25: Always wondered what the hell is that for?

2:30 Late. Vasques Rock. I love guana. Vista Point and 3 Crosses.

2:45 Stopped by LCH and picked up some Flip Food. Stores is not closed

3:30 Dropped of broken bracelet. Store near Forever 21

3:45 Passed Airport, Joe Davies, and Gold Course. Man sells Flowers. Much respect.

4 Nap time

6:30 Headed to Supersport and then Pick up Prece at gym. On Sierra now

745 3 miles for Nike+ done. No lifting tonight

8 Going to ask parent about visiting AV Akido

8:15 Am/PM on Ave M and Sierra. Talk to Prece about George Foreman and Muhammad Ali "Ali Boma Ye"

9 Talk to Angelo about Star Wars. Hear about backpacks and eat hot wings and bread sticks
10:30 Watch some UFC, Fast Furious 3. Get Keys to head to lift at old 24 hrs. Get Laptop instead. Fall asleep after finishing post.

Turn a Different Corner . . .

Tibetan Book of Dead. Reincarnation. Multi-Generational process. Do you know your purpose in life? Have you answered that calling that burns inside of you? Do you know your own life question?

It has been said the people are close in our lifetimes are the ones we have been close many lifetimes. Think about your best friend right now. Is there or has there been something always familiar you have always felt with that person?

I think of Shazam, Elaine, and Brian.
Elaine is my soul mate. No, doubt in mind. She was the one. I knew her before I knew her. I was drawn to her. I knew not why, but from the moment we were friends, I knew she was the one. Just wasn't for this lifetime, but for many lifetimes. Shazam--my life was missing something for many years. We lost contact for years. We reconnected. Brian, my next door neighbor, growing up was somebody I sorely missed and still miss.

It is said we have these connections with great friends and terrible enemies. The threads of life are so intertwined that we keeping meeting until we get it right. We keep meeting, doing the same thing, playing the role over and over again. We keep having these chance encounters until we do it right. Think Robin Williams, What Dreams May Come. Robert Downey, Jr and Chances Are.

Sometimes, these connections are with someone we passionately hate. Do you know of anyone that just always seem rub each other the wrong way? It probably is some past life karma. These connections are enemies for life. Well, it could be for life or until you decide to fix and resolve these past sleights.

In our Hero's journey we have the significant others that we can count on to love--to hate--to be connected. Through thick and thin, we stay with these friends. An accidental sleight can turn our most trusted compatriots to our most detested enemies. Reed Richard and Dr. Doom. Peter Parker and the Green Goblin. Charles Xavier and Magneto. Close friends became are most rivaled enemies. I sleighted my closest friend and he hates me with a passion. I apologized to him in an email and I fear his hate and anger for me are still very deep. I have not heard any word since. Sometimes these relationships are of loved one's lost. A road that turned a different corner. Lancelot du Lac, Arthur Pendragon, and Guenevere. Jean Grey, Scott Summers, and Logan. It was Elaine, Michael, and Me. Good friends turned by rivals because of Love.

These stories have been told over and over again. Players have changed, but the game remains the same. Turn a different corners and we would have never known and met. I thank these times when we risked and were rewarded. I risk and flow. I imagine the reward of meeting an old friend for the very first time.